


Michael Burnham Has a Million Suitors

by Persiflage



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Alternate Universe, Everybody Loves Michael Burnham, F/F, First Kiss, First Time, Inspired By Tumblr, Metafiction, Michael Burnham Deserves Better, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Which is only Right and Proper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 11:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17848463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: AU: In which everyone falls in love with Michael Burnham - which is only right and proper, and why the hell isn't this canon?





	Michael Burnham Has a Million Suitors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nomisunrider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomisunrider/gifts).



> So nomisunrider [reblogged](http://nomi--sunrider.tumblr.com/post/182874534563/michaelburnhamsource-michael-burnham-in-202-new) a couple of gifs of Michael Burnham looking as gorgeous as hell with the tags 'cries' and 'how does she not have 1 million suitors on the show', and I responded with a bit of metafic on an AU version of Discovery where Michael DOES have a million suitors, and it, well got out of hand and turned more fic-ish than the mere musing it started out as. I've tidied it up a bit for the purposes of posting here.

Michael Burnham has lots of people fancying her wherever she goes. Aboard the _Shenzhou_ it becomes a bit of a running joke - but not in a nasty way - that they literally can’t take Michael anywhere without at least one person she meets falling for her badly. Some people pine not-so-secretly, others try to woo her openly, but she remains disinterested in everyone except the one person who appears to be completely immune, and over her she pines unrequitedly. Except that Captain Georgiou totally requites Michael’s feelings too - but there’s that persnickety chain of command. She seriously needs to get Michael her own ship to Captain and **then** she’ll dare to speak out.

After the first two or three occasions when someone has tried to woo Michael, she asks in great bewilderment, “What is wrong with these people? Are they drunk or high or –”

Keyla Detmer scornfully interrupts, “Hello, have you seen you?”

Then she flushes bright red, mumbles something incoherent, before rushing away in embarrassment. Poor Michael is still more bewildered, and looks at Captain Georgiou, thinking that if anyone can explain this, she can. 

Philippa has the most perfect poker face, and marvellously even tone as she says, “Speaking objectively, Michael, you are very attractive. In addition to which, you are extremely smart and very empathetic. To some people that’s an irresistible combination.”

And Michael nods, although she’s not wholly convinced, and she can’t help wondering how resistant her Captain is to this combination.

Then the _Shenzhou_ is sent to assist the _Discovery_ at a Federation colony where a meteor strike has caused massive infrastructure failures, not to mention over a hundred deaths, and not only does Michael find herself _literally_ being fought over by a pair of twins, brother and sister, but one Captain Gabriel Lorca is clearly smitten and not hiding it very well. And Captain Georgiou, who worked with Lorca a decade ago, is deeply unimpressed, but mostly at herself for how jealous she feels even though Michael does not offer Lorca any encouragement. But then, as Philippa knows full well, no one needs encouraging to fall for Michael – it just happens. 

Finally Commander Michael Burnham gets her own ship, and Captain Michael Burnham celebrates by attending a party thrown by the Bridge crew of the _Shenzhou_ , even though she’s still not really into parties. Fortunately, Captain Georgiou entices her away to a quiet corner (okay, to her quarters) as she wants to give Michael a parting gift of her telescope. After Michael’s finished exclaiming in surprise, and asked “Are you sure?” half a dozen times, Philippa has gathered her courage sufficiently to touch Michael’s shoulder, then lift her hand to cup her cheek, before saying “Michael” in a breathy voice.

And the newly minted Captain’s eyes go wide, then she reaches up to touch Philippa’s cheek, and after gazing into each other’s eyes in a stupidly intense way, they kiss…

The kiss doesn’t last nearly long enough for Philippa before Michael pulls back, her hand dropping to her former Captain’s shoulder. “Can I –” 

She hesitates, and Philippa asks gently, “Can you what?”

“Can I do more than kiss you?”

“You can do whatever you like,” Philippa assures her. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

“As have I,” Michael says, and Philippa feels her breathing stutter. 

“You have?” 

“Yes,” Michael asserts firmly. “I – uh – I had a crush on you before we even met. I hadn’t been aboard the _Shenzhou_ for very long before I realised that I wasn’t just crushing on you.” She looks down at the floor, and Philippa puts the tip of her index finger under her chin and lifts it carefully. 

“Michael?”

“I’ve been in love with you for years,” Michael says in a breathless rush. “For years.” Her repetition of those two words is emphatic, almost as if she thinks Philippa might contradict her.

“And I with you,” Philippa reassures her.

“Oh!” Michael looks utterly shocked then, in a move that startles Philippa immensely, she scoops her former Captain off her feet and takes the three paces to the bed. The older woman finds herself dropped into the middle of her bed, and then Michael pounces on her, and is kissing her frenziedly, and Philippa sincerely hopes that no one is going to want either one of them before morning.

_*** Transmission ends ***_


End file.
